In general, the atmosphere can act as a carrier for a number of different types of pollutants, contaminants and/or other airborne constituents, such as dust, lint, pollen, moisture, smoke, odors, fungus, mold and/or the like. As they move through the atmosphere, the airborne constituents can be deposited on a number of different surfaces associated with a variety of different products (i.e., windows, cars, etc.). The products are then cleaned (i.e., window cleaning, car washing, etc.) at some point in time due to same.
Airborne constituents, particularly airborne pathogens, are receiving significant attention from Government, Industry, Healthcare institutions and the media with respect to indoor air-quality issues. In general, typical air handler systems, such as HVAC systems, use coils and fins as a medium to provide heating and cooling exchange. Air is pulled across the surface of the coils and fins to make the heating or cooling transfer. However, airborne constituents, such as dust, lint, smoke, odors, fungus, mold and/or other like matter can be deposited on the surface of such air handler systems during use. The deposited matter can decrease the efficiency of the air system, thus increasing energy costs.
Further, the decrease in efficiency of the air system can have an adverse effect on the air quality. In this regard, there exists a greater potential for spreading odors, mold, fungus spore and/or the like throughout the room or building and for creating a breeding ground for a myriad of pathogens, such as Legionella. Thus, indoor air quality is diminished if the air system is not cleaned on a regular basis.
The coils and fins of air systems are presently cleaned with acid, alkaline or neutral cleaners. Hand pump garden sprayers and hoses are the most commonly used form of a cleaner applicator. Acid and alkaline cleaners can be corrosive to the coils and fins and can over time cause serious damage. In any event, these types of cleaners are typically used on heavily fouled air systems. Often, metal fin rakes and brushes are also used to help clean off heavy buildup. However, this can cause additional damage to the air system.
An alternative to hand pump garden sprayers and the like are high pressure cleaning applicators (e.g., over 600 PSI). At these higher pressures, the coils, fins and the like of the air systems can become damaged as well. Moreover, known coil cleaning processes can require a significant amount of clean-up after use and can be time consuming and/or labor intensive to set-up and operate. This is due, in part, to the large amount of water and solutions that are used at flow rates that typically exceed 1 gallon per minute. This can create a disincentive for regular cleaning, particularly since air systems are typically out of view of occupants, management and the like.
A need therefore exists to improve surface cleaning, such as to improve the cleaning of surfaces associated with air handler systems, particularly the coils and fins thereof.